Be Careful What You Say After a Car Accident

By
Dean Law Firm
|September 13, 2017

A car accident can happen in the blink of an eye, leaving you disoriented,
panicked, frustrated, and all sorts of other emotions all at the same
time. Because car accident scenes can be filled with tension, many people
wish to be cordial and start talking on good terms, which is respectable.
However, if there’s one thing you absolutely should not do, it’s
apologize. For anything or for any reason, even if you think you’re
totally at fault. Here’s how what you say could get you in more
trouble than what you did.

Admissions of Fault

When you’re involved in an accident, one of the first phone calls
you’ll likely make is to your insurance company to file a claim.
During this phone call, your insurance company will likely collect statements
on what happened as well as information such as where the accident happened,
when it happened, and who was involved. Insurance companies use this information
to try to investigate what exactly happened and how they should assign fault.

However, insurance companies are in business to make money, so they’re
also pre-disposed to do everything in their power to assign fault to someone
they aren’t liable to cover for. In doing so, they’ll often
look or listen for clues or pieces of evidence that suggest they can do
so. Believe it or not, apologizing is one of these pieces of evidence.
When you apologize to the other party for any reason, any other party’s
insurance company will often try to take that apology and try to pass
it off as an admission of fault. This can complicate your case and lead
to a longer and more difficult road when it comes to finding a solution.

Protecting Yourself

What’s the easiest way to protect yourself from being framed by an
insurance company after an accident? Simple: collect evidence. By obtaining
documentation that supports your claims, you can make sure your testimony
is consistent and that any potential holes are filled with the truth.
This includes being honest in your statements, obtaining a copy of the
accident report as quickly as possible, and taking plenty of pictures,
including of anything that could have influenced the accident. Furthermore,
watch what you say: it’s okay to be polite, but do so without apologizing
for your actions. There will be time for that later if necessary.

Contact the Midland car accident attorneys from Dean Law Firm today at
(432) 214-8125 to
request a case evaluation if you need help after being involved in a car accident!

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